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Phases of Development

Scope-WHAT is appropriate for study
Methods-HOW should politics be studied
Objectives-What is the PURPOSE of the analysis

Classical Period
Up to 1850

Scope-Normative, Focus on ends, Pursuit of Good Life, Dealt with what is (human nature, justice)
Methods-deductive (hobbes, locke)
Objectives-knowledge is an end in itself, philosphers king, The Prince, knowledge should be put to use

Challenges:
Irony of Form-> Always be an elite few who run gov't (Iron Law of Oligarchy)
Political Pluralists->multiple centers of power in any type of gov't (media, parties, lobbyists)
Symbolic Interactionists->people are products of environment, focus on behavior

Behavioral Period
1925-Present

Scope-Authoratative allocation of values in society.
Methods-Goals are explanations and predictions, research is oriented and predicted, facts seperate from values, sophisticated methodology, focus on individuals
Objectives-Knowledge is main goal, move away from PoliSci as applied science

Post Behavioralism

substance much precede technique
science is NOT value free
to have knowledge also means you have responsibility

Body of knowledge-> products, the ends, products as a body of statements, open to evaluation, organized in certain systematic relationships.
As a Method-> as a process, the means, following the systematic process of observing, measuring and evaluating our observations in the world

Assumptions of Science

Principle of Universal Causation->nothing simply happens, there are causes of the everyday events or situations, political phenomenon don't just happen, there are causes for these events. PoliSci's want to discover these.
Scientific Statements based on observations-> Science is empirical must be based on observations, obs are made in real world, science is to be objective
Scientific Inquiry is VALUE FREE->Deals with "What is", Does not focus on What ought to be, must be able to transfer knowledge, replicate procedures
Scientific Inquiry is SYSTEMATIC-> Formulate empirical concepts, suggest find relationships btwn concepts, develop theories, explain and predict

Arguments Against PoliSci

Complexity->no regularities can be found, no concepts, which equals no relationships, which equals no generalizations
Human Indeterminancy Argument->bcz humans have free will, we can never predict what they do. It is impossible to predict human behavior.
Reaction Prob->"Hawthorne Effect" subjects may alter their behavior if they know they are being watched.

Perceptions Involve

Registering something through senses
then ascribing meaning to what we have observed
provide meaning means we have to INTERPRET what we see
now our VALUES may influence perceptions

Real->Reportive Defn's
Ordinary Use Term
Assumes every descriptive word has an essential meaning
Nominal->Stipulative Defn's, assignment of a word to a form, Let X=Y. Makes no empirical claim, May agree/dis with meaning.
Conceptual Defn's-Defn's that descibe concepts using other concepts. The other concepts must be defined and the process regresses. Stop defining at the point of primitive terms. Downs Example.

Foundation of communication
means of classification
core of generalizations
building blocks of theory

Evaluating Concepts

Empirical Links
Linked to real world
Theoretically Importance
Linked to other concepts

Types of Generalizations

Universal Gen
Probablistic Gen
Tendency Gen

Criteria For valid Gens

Concepts must be empirical
gens must be logical
concepts must be universal descriptive words

Criteria for Establishing Cause

Association (direction and strength)
Temporal Rel (A must occur before B in order to cause)
Non-Spurious Rel (controlling for effects of 3rd variable)
Logical Rel- links them together

Causality: Sufficient Conditions

Factor which by itself is enough to bring about another event. but it is NOT a necessary condition.
A is a sufficient condition for B when: A occurs, B also occurs AND B might have other sufficient conditions.(pol scandal & pres reelection)

Causality: Necessary Conditions

A factor ALWAYS MUST occur before another event occurs.
A is a necessary condition for B when: B occurs we know that A is present but A is not alone a sufficient condition for B

Explanations and Predictions

Explanations as descriptions (explain how a bill becomes law)
Explanation is answering the why
(why did some members vote for or against)

Types of Explanations

Deductive-nomological
Statistical-Probablistic

Theories and Models

Scientific Political Theory (empirical vs. normative)
Defn->A theory is a system of logically related empirically tested law like propositions

Functions of Theory

Guides research
explanation
prediction
prescription

Models and Functions

Analytical system constructed so that the logical relationships between the elements of the model correspond to the relationships in the observable world.

Basics of Approaches

Orientation to looking at the world in a particular way. Represents a guiding orientation for research, directs us to a set of concepts.

Ecological fallacy

where the research conducted is on a macro scale but the conclusions are drawn on a micro scale

Individualistic Fallacy

rsrch conducted on a micro
draw conclusions at macro
ie-rsrch on individ id leads to concl that parties are on decline

Bio-Politics

Thomas Wiegle, "Biopolitics: A search for a more human Poli Sci"
Argues that biology can influence or temper decisions we make
Presidential Character

Governmental Process by David Truman
Interest Group Theory: The policy that emerges from the Political System will be the Equilibrium between the influence of groups.

Power Approach

Pluralism: Who Governs? Robert Dahl
Power is widely distributed
Many groups have power
Elitism
The Power Elite C. Wright Mills
Power is concentrated in the hands of few
Groups
Economic
Political
Military